Side effects due to primary antituberculosis drugs during the initial phase of therapy in 1149 hospitalized patients for tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: Side effects of the most commonly used primary antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs may be mild as well as fatal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the side effects of and the risk factors for developing side effects against anti-TB drugs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Records of 1149 patients with established tuberculosis who initially received anti-TB therapy were evaluated retrospectively. The major side effects, which resulted in a definitive termination from 1 or more drugs related to anti-TB therapy, and the risk factors associated with these side effects, were analyzed. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients (8.3%), constituting 104 cases in total, experienced side effects. Although the frequency of drug reactions were increased from 0.6% at ages <20 to 5.2% at ages 20-40, no gender or age differences were observed between patients who did and did not have side effects. While asymptomatic liver function disturbance was established in 56 of the patients (4.9%) with initiation of anti-TB therapy, the rate of hepatotoxicity was found to be 2.4% in this present study. No age or gender differences were observed among those who had hepatotoxicity and who had not. The major side effects were ototoxicity (1.7%), hepatotoxicity (0.8%), neuropsychiatric manifestations (0.7%), and hyperuricemia (0.6%). CONCLUSIONS: It must be remembered that severe side effects associated with anti-TB drugs were encountered with different frequencies especially among patients hospitalized for pulmonary tuberculosis, and these patients should be followed up by closer monitoring for side effects related to anti-TB drugs.

Behçet's disease with right ventricle thrombus and bilateral pulmonary artery aneurysms--a case report.

Behçet's disease is currently recognized as a multisystemic disease that may present with vascular, cutaneous, pulmonary, neurologic, rheumatologic, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary manifestations. Despite this multiplicity, cardiac involvement and also the coexistence of bilateral pulmonary arterial aneurysms are rare. An interesting case is presented here with intracardiac thrombi and bilateral pulmonary arterial aneurysms that showed clinical regression with immunosuppressive therapy.

Sarcoidosis in Turkey: 1954-2000.

BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disease of unknown etiology. The presentation and frequency of different organ involvement can vary according to race, geographical location and gender. Because of the multiorgan involvement and its mimicking nature, the diagnosis is usually a challenge, even to specialists. Therefore, knowledge of the epidemiologic features of the disease is important. METHODS: The first case report of sarcoidosis in Turkey was published in 1954. We obtained data from case series by hand searching of journals and congress abstract books on pulmonary medicine between 1954 and 2000. Series of 5 or more cases were included in our compilation of data. RESULTS: Data for 1327 patients with the diagnosis of sarcoidosis were obtained from 29 reports. There were nearly twice as many females as males with the disease in these case series. Most of the patients were at stage 1 or 2 at the time of diagnosis. Peripheral lymph node enlargement was reported in 119 patients, skin involvement in 22 and nervous system involvement in 12 patients. Erythema nodosum was reported in 137 patients. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme was elevated in 52% and the tuberculin skin test was positive in 24% of patients. Organ biopsies seemed to be the preferred diagnostic method in the initial papers while recent papers revealed the value of obtaining a bronchoscopic biopsy. CONCLUSION: Despite several limitations of our study, this is the first compilation of 46 years of data on sarcoidosis in Turkey. Further studies on the geographical distribution and incidence and prevalence are needed for our country.

Elevated levels of circulating matrix metalloproteinase-9 in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Elevated levels of matrix metalloproteinase have been implicated as playing important role in tumour progression in several types of cancers. Our aim was to determine whether these enzyme might be a useful tumour marker for lung cancer and also to evaluate the correlation of circulating levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) with tumour histology, staging, nodal status, metastasis and prognosis. Blood samples were collected from 35 nonsmall cell lung cancer patients who were diagnosed histologically, and 14 healthy controls. The MMP-9 levels were significantly higher in the cancer group (p< 0.001). However no significant correlation between several clinical features (such as histology of the tumour, staging, tumour status, or nodal status) and plasma MMP-9 levels have been observed. Though it does not show statistical significance, more patients with metastasis seemed to have higher MMP-9 levels. At the end of six month 11 patients were out of follow-up. Among the remaining 24 patients eight patients had lower MMP-9 levels, seven were survivors at the end of six months. Sixteen patients had MMP-9 levels above the threshold. Only 10 have survived to six months. In conclusion MMP-9 can serve as a marker for metastasis and can be valuable in the follow-up of lung cancer patients.

[A case of aggressive fibromatosis of posterior mediastinum]. / Posterior mediasten yerlesimli agresiv fibromatözis olgusu.

Aggressive fibromatosis is a rarely seen soft tissue tumor. They originate principally from deep seated fascial or musculoaponeurotic structures. Although they are considered histologically benign, they behave locally aggressive. Posterior mediastinal localisation is very rare. The patient who was investigated because of a lesion located in posterior mediastinum and a thoracal magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass with a dimension of 20 x 6 x 5 cm, started at the level of thoracal fourth vertebra reaching the L1 vertebra, was diagnosed as aggressive fibromatosis by a biopsy obtained after a right posterior thoracotomy performed by thoracic surgery. A minimal regression was established nine months after radiotherapy by thoracal MRI. This case of aggressive fibromatosis, which was asymptomatic and whose posterior mediastinal mass did not increased its dimensions during six years of follow-up, was presented.

High dose rate endobronchial brachytherapy effectively palliates symptoms due to inoperable lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Intraluminal brachytherapy has become an established treatment for major airway occlusion by relapsed or persistent inoperable endobronchial tumors. The aim of this study was to compare the palliation improvement pre- and post-radiotherapy. METHODS: The study group was 95 patients with the diagnosis of inoperable lung cancer who were eligible for HDR brachytherapy. Fiber-optic bronchoscopy was performed and the level and degree of endobronchial obstruction were estimated in terms of bronchial obstruction index. Endobronchial irradiation was delivered using remote HDR afterloading brachytherapy with iridium-192. Brachytherapy was delivered at weeks 1, 2 and 3 at 7.5 Gy per fraction or at weeks 1 and 2 at 10 Gy per fraction. All patients were evaluated at the beginning and at the third month of therapy. Using Speiser's symptomatic scoring criteria, the severity of symptoms (dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis and postobstructive pneumonia) was weighted. Bronchoscopic findings at the initial evaluation and at the third month were also scored. Surviving patients were followed up for a minimum of 3 months with a mean of 7.5 +/- 5.35 months (median: 6 months). RESULTS: All the symptoms and bronchial obstruction improved significantly after brachytherapy (P < 0.05). The most responding symptoms were dyspnea and hemoptysis. The factors determining the complete response were evaluated; age, staging, histological type, lesion localization and previous history of radiotherapy did not seem to determine the complete response (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: All the symptoms and bronchial obstruction index seemed to improve after brachytherapy. However, it is difficult to predict the response before the therapy.